Eagle/Gypsum boards gather

Related Media

A joint meeting of the Eagle Town Board and the Gypsum Town Council touched on issues they share - issues each town has that affects the other and issues they want to work on together.

Under the "shared issues" label, representatives from CenturyLink presented information regarding the company's plans to upgrade cable television services in the two communities. Both Eagle and Gypsum are due to renew their cable television franchise agreements and have held back on signing new deals until CenturyLink committed to system improvements. Tuesday night, CenturyLink representatives announced the towns will soon have access to a new service called "Prism."

"It is probably the highest tech TV you can receive today," said Penny Larson, CenturyLink vice president for Western Colorado.

She said Prism is an advanced TV service delivered over a fiber optic network and that the company has launched it in eight markets. "We will be providing a TV service that is comparable to something you could get in an urban market," said Larson.

Eagle Town Engineer Tom Gosiorowski presented Eagle's plan for construction of four roundabouts, a new pedestrian bridge over Interstate 70 and various other improvements. The $14 million construction plan is a joint effort of Eagle and the Colorado Department of Transportation and will begin this summer.

"Putting the funding together for this project has been a challenge," said Gosiorowski. He noted that Eagle is spending $3 million on actual construction and has invested roughly $1.5 million on planning and design. Gosiorowski said the town stockpiled proceeds from the former Costco revenue sharing agreement to help pay for the road project.

Gypsum officials ended the cost share agreement this year after Eagle voters passed the Eagle River Station project, noting that during the course of the five-year agreement, Eagle had received approximately $1.2 million from the cost share deal.

Noting that many Gypsum residents access Interstate 70 through Eagle, Gosiorowski noted that the construction schedule will impact travel times over the coming months. Additionally, the replacement of the Brush Creek bridge on U.S. Highway 6 west of town will impact Gypsum residents, he said.

But despite the inconveniences of construction, Gosiorowski said CDOT's decision to proceed with these large projects is good news for the entire region.

"It's good news for us to see some state money spent in this area over the next four years," he said.

Gypsum officials floated the idea of teaming with Eagle and Eagle County to work toward securing open space parcels adjacent to the Eagle River.

"There is some potential for us, as far as a recreational component, for working together," said Gypsum Town Council member Tom Edwards.

Members of both boards agreed to author a letter stating that commitment.